As is the Indian way, Tina Blue View’s prices seem to have shot up dramatically since it got a place within the LP’s pages: their 100 rupee lower end has increased to 300 rupees. That said, the rooms are pleasant enough and the attached bathrooms are clean and come with western fittings.

The location is nice and there is a pleasant garden, although it was too hot to relax in when we were there. The staff are alright, although standards of service are somewhat less than we’d expect at home.

5/10

Azad Lodge was closed on our second visit to Port Blair, so we walked a little further up the hill and found Amina Lodge on the second floor of a shop in Aberdeen Bazaar. At 350 rupees per night (negotiated down from the normal price of 400), it was quite a lot more expensive than we’d hoped for, but the room was clean, the attached bathroom had a western loo and we got a TV and electronic mosquito repellent for our money. The room was insanely hot, but you can’t complain about that too much when you are on a desert island.

The owners of Amina are exactly what we expected Indian guest house owners to be like – the treated us like long lost relatives, showing us family pictures and giving us tea and fruit. It was a fun, if somewhat surreal, experience.

8/10

We arrived on Havelock Island at 8:30am, and with our Lonely Planet in hand, we set off to find ourselves some 50Rps a night beach huts. Sadly, the most recent LP is already awfully out of date when it comes to room rates, with most places seemingly doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling their prices. The cheapest we found was Green Valley Resort, who offered us a hut away from the beach and without a bathroom for 250 a night. We plumped for El Dorado instead: they gave us a hut right next to the beach, with bathroom, for 350 a night (the non-en suite huts were 150, but they were full). The only place we heard of with bargain basement huts was right next to the jetty – not exactly prime real estate.

Aside from our disappointment at the price, El Dorado was a nice place to stay: so nice that we stayed 11 days. The bar was lively and not over priced, the restaurant was average (but about as good as any other hotel), and the staff were pretty sound. Across the street there was a really nice restaurant that offered a good value breakfast for just 50 Rps.

Most people arriving in the Andaman Islands will need to spend at least one night in Port Blair, and Azad is a solid option. Located just off of Aberdeen Bazaar, the non-AC rooms with outside bathroom (squat) are just 250Rps a night. We were offered an AC room for just 400, so it might be worth bartering a bit. There is nothing special about Azad except the price. 6/10

Hotel Maria is situated in the heart of Kolkata’s backpacker district, within spitting distance of decent traveller restaurants and shops selling souvenirs. For the 200 Rps it costs a night you won’t get luxury: your room will be cell like and the bathrooms will be squatties. But you will get hot water (in a bucket) in the evening.

For location and price, we give Maria, a fairly average 5/10

This little locally owned place near Meer Ghat is absolutely bursting with character. We stayed in the ‘dorm’ for 60 rupees per night, which is actually just a large room between the private rooms with mattresses on the floor (or on a fold down camping bed, if you are lucky). Mosquito nets seem to be provided upon request, but we didn’t find them necessary. Private rooms don’t offer any more luxury, but at 120 rupees are a steal for those who want a little more privacy. Toilets are shared squatties, and showers are bucket and scoop operated.

The place is run by two brothers who live with their families on the ground floor. The younger brother gave us a great introduction to the sights in Varanasi and offered to act as a guide for a donation if we bought a boat trip up the Ganges from him. The older brother makes his own spices by hand which can be bought for reasonable prices as nice gifts/souvenirs.

To find Shankeri, head towards Uma guest house (in the Lonely Planet) – Shankeri is right behind Uma down a little lane to the south. 8/10

Only a few minutes walk from the train station, Hotel Prayag is great if you, like us, only need to spend a night in Allahabad on the way to somewhere else. It is also not too far from the centre of town and has a good selection of cheap local restaurants nearby.

Rooms without bathrooms or AC are around 200rs, but there are a plethora of more expensive rooms for travellers with some spare cash. That said, we saw no evidence of anything particularly luxurious as we walked through the hotel. Our room was large and clean and had a shared bathroom with shower and a strange squattie-western hybrid toilet which required you to stand on the rim of the bowl.

We were surprised at how nice Allahabad seemed so we’d recommend a longer stay that 1 night. There are a few more hotel options in town, which might be in a better location to soak up the lively café atmosphere of the city centre.

6/10

Chitrakut isn’t exactly overflowing with accommodation, but still we had no problem finding this little place – just wander along the ghats and you’ll see the signs. The owner was a little spaced out, but was friendly enough. When we asked how much a room cost, he said “You have the guide book: how much does it say in there?” and, right enough, he gave us the quoted price of 200rs.

The room was basic, with sqauttie toilets and bucket showers, and the bedding had seen better days; the blanket was absolutely disgusting, so we had to crack out the sleeping bags when it got a bit chilly at night. Location is great – outside the rooms there is a large balcony that overlooks the ghats.

5/10

We like cheap food, and in a town full of budget restaurants, Gulshan is the cheapest.

It is seemingly run by a group of highly intelligent 10 year olds – you will be served by one of the many kids that work there on your visit, and might not encounter any adults at all. Their English is phenomenal and they are great to talk to.

The restaurant has a good rooftop view over the other rooftops, and has a very rustic feel, especially when the electricity cuts out and you have to eat by candle light. Best of all are the prices: 25 Rps for a veg Thali, 30 Rps for a veg curry, 5 Rps for a cup of chai, and just 25 Rps for a Western breakfast, including coffee. Two people can have a feast here for well under a pound.

Sounds good to me!

We were dropped off at Saai by our very friendly rickshaw driver (I am fairly certain he did not get a commission because the price is so cheap, but if he did, fair play to him), and, after haggling the price down to 250 a night agreed to stay. The building is charming: the insides are painted bright pink, with flowers and plants everywhere and plenty of sunlight. The rooftop view of the Taj Mahal is also very special.

The room is a bit on the small side, but the bed was big and we had our own bathroom. Hot water is on demand (ask at the desk and then wait 20 minutes), and the location can’t be beat. The area is noisy, however. But you can expect to be woken by the muezzin call wherever you stay, so we can’t take points off for that.

8/10